


This Is Gospel

by BillieJoeArmstrong



Category: Roswell New Mexico (TV 2019)
Genre: Alex thirsts over Michael's curls a lot, Fluff and Angst, Humor, Hurt/Comfort, M/M, Truth Serum, kind of.. its more like truth kryptonite lmao
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-03-25
Updated: 2019-03-25
Packaged: 2019-12-07 17:36:45
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,487
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18238103
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/BillieJoeArmstrong/pseuds/BillieJoeArmstrong
Summary: A weird glowing rock forces Alex to tell the truth.Set after 1x09.





	This Is Gospel

“Welcome to my humble abode.” Michael said passively, waving his arms around the low-roofed room. After telling Alex as best he could the truth about who he was, where he came from, what he could do, he had invited the airman down into his bunker to show him the proof of his explanations.

 

Telling Alex had been easy. He had taken it all very well, accepting everything Michael told him as gospel. Being an alien, having powers, the fact that he was part of the cover up of Rosa’s murder. Michael had spilled all and Alex had nodded and said, “I believe you.”

 

 _Believing is one thing_ , Michael thought, _but do you accept me?_ He wasn’t sure he wanted to ask – wasn’t sure Alex would give him a straight answer anyway. Michael decided he wouldn’t press for now, they were trying to keep things simple between them; be friends and nothing more. Friends didn’t force each other to confess their hearts desires moments after sharing impossible secrets. Not that Michael really knew much about friendship. He shook his head, willing his angsty thoughts away and turned his attention back to where Alex was wandering around the bunker, silently taking in the environment.

 

Lab equipment and pieces of materials not of Earth were strewn across every surface, cluttered to the naked eye, but perfectly ordered in Michael's mind. Alex had been standing near a shelf in the far corner of the room, peering over a collection of meteorites, one in particular glowed a soft orange hue. Michael shouted when Alex picked it up.

 

"No don't touch that!" Michael's voice was frantic, a hasty warning shout that rang out through his secret, underground lab.

 

"What?" Alex swiveled to face Michael, voice surprisingly calm, though his eyes were wide in confusion. In his left hand he held the glowing rock.

 

Michael squinted, taking a single, hesitant step toward Alex. "You're not in immense pain right now? Not feeling sick?"

 

"...No?" Alex answered carefully, "should I be?"

 

Michael looked baffled and shrugged. "Last time I touched that rock," he pointed to Alex's hand, "I threw up for three hours."

 

"Gross." Alex screwed up his face and whispered.

 

Michael chuckled gently, "I've had to use my mind to move it since."

 

Alex smiled, "still not over that - the mind powers, that is. So cool."

 

Michael smiled back, wanting nothing more than to walk over and kiss Alex. Somehow the man's instant acceptance of his origins and abilities made Michael love him more. But Michael couldn't kiss him right now, for two reasons. For one, they were taking it slow this time. Getting to know each other before they jumped into any sort of relationship beyond friendship. And secondly, because Alex was still holding the nauseating rock.

 

"Would you mind putting that down?" Michael prompted.

 

"Right," Alex turned to place it back on the shelf, but before he did he turned back to Michael. "It's like your kryptonite."

 

"What is?" Michael asked, _you?_ he wanted to finish, because it was true. Alex was his weakness.

 

"The rock." Alex explained, "like how kryptonite is toxic to Superman, but does nothing to Humans."

 

"You're saying I'm Superman?" Michael laughed, "yeah I guess it's like that."

 

Alex rolled his eyes, "I mean you’ve got to admit there are some similarities. But I meant, like, that's why this rock made you sick but isn't hurting-" he stopped mid-sentence, a dazed, dissociative look on his face, before passing out.

 

\- - -

 

When Alex came to, he was aware of three things. He was outside, sitting in one of the lawn chairs in front of Michael’s airstream, the midday sun beating down on him and irritating his eyes when he opened them. He wasn’t alone; Michael, Max and Liz were standing in a circle, whispering anxiously to each other. The third thing Alex noticed was that the glowing, orange meteorite was still clutched in his grip.

 

Alex tried to flex his hand, groaning when he couldn’t release the rock.

 

“He’s waking up.” Liz spoke, walking over to Alex while Max and Michael stayed back.

 

“I can’t drop it.” Alex said, panic in his voice.

 

Liz knelt down next to the chair, leaning toward Alex and put a gentle hand on his arm, calming him. “How are you feeling?” she asked softly.

 

“Like my personal space bubble is being extremely violated.” Alex said, his eyes widening in shock at his own words. _I didn’t mean to say that_ he thought, Liz was trying to comfort him and he blabbered the first thing he thought. Alex shook his head, feeling intensely guilty and embarrassed. But when he tried to apologise what came out was, “you could really use a breath mint, too.”

 

Liz blinked and leaned back. “Excuse me?” she asked, doing her best not to sound _too_ offended. Behind her, Michael was sniggering.

 

Liz stood up and turned around to face Michael, hands on hips. “Did you really call me down here so you could play some elaborate prank?” she asked, exasperated.

 

Michael sobered quickly. “No way. Alex passed out, I was worried.” He said, “I still am but, uh, you have to admit that was kind of funny.”

 

Liz scoffed. “Alright, assuming this is serious,” she glared at Michael before turning back to Alex, “how are you _really_ feeling?”

 

“Hot.” Alex replied, squinting at the sun in his eyes, “irritable, a tiny bit turned on like I always am around Michael.” He slammed a hand over his mouth, face turning bright red.

 

Liz blinked. “I didn’t need to hear that last part,” she said, “why did you say that?” She could hear Max trying to hold in laughter behind her, and assumed Michael’s face was as mortified as Alex’s.

 

“It’s the truth.” Alex whispered. The same thought dawned on all four of them at once.

 

“So, you picked up this weird meteorite rock,” Liz started, “and now you can’t drop it and…” she trailed off.

 

“How many fingers am I holding up?” Max asked, taking few, small steps forward. He held up a hand in a peace-sign.

 

“Two.” Alex answered, confusion across his face.

 

“Alright, now tell me any other number.” Max said.

 

Alex’s face contorted in pain, his breathing loud and laboured. “Two,” he heaved out eventually.

 

Liz stood up and put her palm to her mouth. “He can’t lie,” she gasped.

 

Michael shook his head and stomped forward quickly, stopping when the rock in Alex’s hand glowed a brighter orange and caused Michael to trip. He knelt on ground, looking into Alex’s eyes though about five feet lay between them.

 

“How’d you get the scar on your forehead?” Michael asked. He felt bad about needing to ask, especially since he knew the answer already, and the tale was too embarrassing for Alex to ever admit under normal circumstances. But if the meteor rock truly forced the truth from him, Alex would share every cringe-worthy detail.

 

Alex glared daggers at Michael, but was compelled to explain anyway. “We were fucking in your truck out in the desert when we were seventeen,” he started, “and I wacked my head against the steering wheel when you-”

 

“Alright we get it!” Max shouted over the end of Alex’s sentence, “I don’t need to hear the rest.”

 

Liz had her arms folded across her chest, an amused smirk on her face “you told me you got in a fight.”

 

“I lie to you a lot, Liz.” Alex said passively, “like when I told you I thought that shirt looked good. Green isn’t your best colour.”

 

Max sniggered loudly and Liz turned quickly to scowl at him. He put his hands up in surrender, but a grin still rested on his face.

 

“Max your laugh sounds like a donkey bleating.” Alex turned his attention to the deputy, “and it’s only a fraction less annoying than your constant crying.”

 

Max shut up very quickly, taken aback. Liz smirked and nodded. “It’s sorta true, you know,” she giggled. Max held his hand over his chest in mock-offence.

 

“I’m glad this is entertaining for you guys, but maybe we should do something to fix it?” Michael sounded agitated, “I just told Alex, like, everything. He needs to be able to lie for all of our safety.”

 

“Not everything.” Alex interrupted, “I still don’t know if you actually _like it_ when I tug on your curls. I do. I like your curls.”

 

Michael slapped a hand to his face in annoyance. As much as he could see the humour in what was happening, he could actually do without Alex spilling about their sex life to anyone who asked. It wasn’t fair on either of them, especially since they technically weren’t together currently.

 

“Can we just figure out what’s going on, and how to stop it?” Michael asked, annoyance in his voice.

 

“Well I can’t figure this out on my own,” Liz explained, “and since you can’t go near the meteorite without blowing chunks… I’ll call Kyle.”

 

\- - -

 

Calling Kyle turned out not to be such a good idea. The doctor was highly amused by the scenario, and was taking it as an opportunity to ask Alex every ridiculous, inappropriate question he’d never usually get an answer to.

The group had moved inside Michael’s airstream to get out of the midday sun, and currently Alex was sitting on the tiny bed, sandwiched between Kyle, who was doing basic tests – temperature, heart rate, blood pressure – and Liz, who was using a scalpel to scratch at the rock still gripped in Alex’s hand, attempting to take samples and analyse its properties.

 

“Favourite member of One Direction?”

 

Alex sighed at Kyle’s question, the fifteenth of its kind, and reluctantly gave his response, “Harry Styles.”

 

“Is it the hair?” Kyle smirked.

 

“Yes, it’s the hair.” Alex rolled his eyes, irritated.

 

“Favourite place in town?”

 

“The UFO Museum.” Alex pointedly avoided looking at Michael.

 

“Weird choice, but okay,” Kyle shrugged, unaware of the locations real significance. “Favourite song?”

 

“Northern Downpour.”

 

“Aside from Michael, who’s the hottest person in this room?” Kyle smirked like the cat that got the cream.

 

“Liz.” Alex answered easily. At Kyle’s scandalised look, Alex shrugged. “What? I’m gay not blind.”

 

“Alright.” Kyle harrumphed, “who’s _actually_ hotter, me or Max?”

 

A pause. “you are.”

 

Kyle grinned smugly, an image of triumph. “I’m glad to hear you think that.” He declared victoriously, “did you ever have a crush on me, Alex?” he asked next.

 

“Come on, really?!” Michael sounded annoyed, shouting from where he and Max were crowded into the other end of the trailer, keeping their distance from the glowing rock. “Kyle, can you cut it out with these questions?”

 

“Actually, the questions are useful,” Liz defended. “I’m testing how the rock itself is reacting to them, it might be the key to figure out how to stop it.”

 

“At least ask something less stupid.” Michael growled, uncaring of how obviously jealous he was acting. His skin might as well have turned green with envy, he was so furious with Kyle’s teasing.

 

“He has to answer.” Liz sighed apologetically, “it seems to be physically compelling him to tell the truth, it’s painful to resist.”

 

Liz’s statement was evident by how Alex’s skin had paled, and he’d clenched his eyes shut. Michael swallowed in fear, wanting nothing more than to comfort his soulmate, even if they weren’t that close at the moment.

 

“I- yes.” Alex muttered under his breath, tears in his eyes as he looked at Kyle. “When we were sixteen, I thought I was in love with you.”

 

Kyle swallowed, he had thought his question had been a harmless joke. That Alex would be able to laugh and shout a ‘ _no way!’_ and mean it.

 

“But I didn’t even know what love was,” Alex continued, “not yet.” He looked up at Michael, guilty and apologetic. “Then when I did find it, I screwed it up.”

 

The atmosphere in the airstream became heavy and silent. Kyle looked shameful, staring at the ground. Liz’s eyes flicked between Alex and Michael, confusion across her face. A few hours ago she hadn’t known there was _any_ form of relationship between the two men, and now she was getting the feeling that whatever _had_ existed was intense and treacherous.

 

Max cleared his throat. “What do we know so far?” he asked, trying to get back to the problem at hand. The sooner they figured out how to stop the rock forcing Alex to tell the truth, the sooner people’s feelings would stop getting hurt.

 

Liz shrugged, “We know pretty much nothing. The rock seems to have some sort of internal energy source, but I can’t get through to it.” She paused to take a breath, “I don’t know how it works, but it seems to be getting stronger. I’m not sure this is something I can science this time, the symptoms all seem to be psychological. Maybe…” she trailed off and looked at the ground.

 

“Maybe if Isobel was here she could get into Alex’s head and force this thing out.” Max finished with a sigh. “But she’s not so, what can we do?”

 

Kyle shook his head, stressed. “I mean, this isn’t urgent is it? Alex is healthy, he just can’t lie.”

 

“What do you mean it’s not urgent?!” Liz yelled back, “he can’t live like this!”

 

“Not to mention he knows our secret.” Max’s voice was angry as took a step toward Kyle, who stood up to face Max. “I can’t have that getting out.”

 

“Oh, so this is about you now?” Kyle yelled back, followed by an aggressive dig at Max and then they were off. A full-blown argument between the doctor and deputy, with Liz cutting in regularly, playing intermediary but not solving anything.

 

Michael stood at the back of the room, feeling helpless as he watched the chaos unfold. He looked across to Alex, who was doubled over on the bed, eyes closed tight as the meteorite in his hand glowed brighter and brighter.

 

“Guys, shut up!” Michael yelled, using his telekinesis to force the three squabbling characters apart. “This isn’t helping anyone, certainly not Alex. Can you make amends and get on with what matters.”

 

The airstream became quiet again as Max and Kyle mumbled out reluctant apologies to each other, and Liz bit her lip.

 

“Okay.” Michael said, then turned his attention back to Alex. He wished again that he could physically comfort the man, the fact that they technically were just trying to be friends at the moment be damned. But the damn rock physically repulsed him. “Alex, are you alright?” he opted to ask instead.

 

“No.” Alex mumbled, “I’m scared,” and he sounded it too. His voice was shaky, and he was fidgeting with his free hand, a picture of anxiety.

 

Liz was about to say something when Alex continued, unprompted.

 

“I’m scared of what this stupid rock is doing, that it’s getting stronger. I don’t want to spill all my secrets to everyone here.” Alex’s breathing was laboured, his eyes still screwed shut, “it’s getting more painful to resist now.”

 

“Then don’t,” Michael called across the room softly.

 

Michael pushed himself off the wall he was leaning on. “My caravan, everyone clear out.” He announced, all but shoving his brother and the two humans out of the airstream. He shut and locked the door behind them, before retreating back to the far end of the room.

 

“Alex, everyone’s gone. You don’t have to hold back now.” Michael said carefully.

 

Alex laughed humourlessly and opened his tear-filled eyes. “It’s you who I don’t want to hear this.” He shook his head and looked up at Michael.

 

Michael’s heart broke at his words. “You don’t trust me?”

 

“I trust you.” Alex replied quickly, “I only trust you.”

 

Taking a cautious step forward, Michael furrowed his brow. Alex was clearly still in pain, holding back some truth that the rock was trying to force out of him. “So why can’t you tell me the truth?”

 

“Because it would mean admitting it to myself.” Alex sighed, then launched straight into it, “I don’t want to be your friend.”

 

Michael’s face fell. He felt like he’d been punched in the gut for the second time in the last few minutes.

 

“I can’t stand being around you like this. You, with your curls that drive me crazy, and your eyes that I have to keep myself from getting lost in.” Alex was well aware he sounded like a cheesy YA novel right now, but he couldn’t stop himself from rambling, compelled to keep spilling his guts. “Even like this, where you’re halfway across the room. I can’t stand being so close, and so far away.”

 

Michael looked Alex in the eye and took a step closer. “It doesn’t have to be like that.”

 

“ _I_ said I wanted to be friends.” Alex shook his head, “that’s what we agreed. Even though-“ he paused, “that was a lie. I want so much more than that.”

 

Michael inhaled loudly, taking another step toward Alex. “Like what?” he asked. A voice in the back of his mind told him not to press, but Michael had to know if Alex really felt the same as he did.

 

“I-“ Alex paused, a surge of pain rippling up from where he still clutched the meteor as he tried to resist speaking. “I want to hold you,” he spoke, teeth gritted. “I want to kiss you, I want to sleep with you. I don’t feel safe around anyone else, not really.”

 

Michael inched closer. The growing nausea from nearing the rock showed on his face as he fell to his knees.

 

“I want to get to know you, too. I didn’t lie about that.” Alex continued, “but I can’t stand that being all we do.”

 

Dragging himself the last few feet to the bed, Michael knelt in front of Alex. “I want all that too,” Michael whispered. Lightheaded and dizzy, he gripped Alex’s hand for balance reflexively. The meteor rock pressed into Michael’s palm, forcing him through another surge of vertigo.

 

The meteorite glowed brighter in both men’s grip, and waves of pain reverberated from it, burning like fire in their veins. Alex could feel the sickness it caused Michael as the pain he had been feeling all afternoon whole time became tenfold.

 

“I want you. Every part of you, in every way possible.” Alex’s voice was so soft, if Michael wasn’t so close he wouldn’t have heard him. “I loved you. I still love you. I won’t ever stop loving you,” Alex breathed out like a mantra. “Michael, I need you.”

 

Michael had tears in his eyes, and they weren’t due to the proximity of the rock. “I love you, Alex.” Michael exhaled, feeling the meteorite getting in his head, and compelling him to speak his most honest thoughts. “I need you too; I need you more than I’ve ever needed anything else.” He leaned up and pressed his lips to Alex’s, kissing him like it was the last thing he’d ever do.

 

Alex kissed him back fervently as the rock glowed impossibly brighter, its orange hue turning white and filling the airstream with blinding light. Alex wrapped his free hand around Michael’s neck, into his hair and tugged gently. Michael placed his arm around Alex’s back and pulled him in closer.

 

A piercing whistle blocked out all other sound, the white light dimming the outside world. All Alex and Michael could feel was one another, inside and out, as the rock went cold and crumbled in their hands.

 

The pair pulled apart when the airstream door flew open and Max, Liz and Kyle crowded in.

 

“What the heck just happened?!” Max shouted frantically, “there was this bright light and the door was stuck and-”

 

Liz cut him off. “Are you both okay?” she asked, worried.

 

Sitting on the bed, Michael looked at where his and Alex’s hands were still joined. He let go to find both their palms covered in a fine, black powder. “I think we’re okay,” he said. The pain in his head and stomach had evaporated. “Alex?”

 

“Yeah, I’m good.” Alex said softly, “I’m great.” He smiled at Michael.

 

Kyle squinted. “Wait, prove it. Tell a lie.”

 

“Kyle, I think you’re the most attractive person on this planet,” Alex said, voice dripping with sarcasm, “right after Max.”

 

Michael laughed at the disgruntled sigh Kyle let out and shook his head. Soon, the entire group was in fits of laughter. Michael took Alex’s hand and looked across at his face, carefree and grinning. Today might have been a big scare for all of them, but it might have been just what Michael and Alex needed to make them start being honest with each other.

 

“Now, what were you saying about my curls?” Michael whispered to Alex, who rolled his eyes lovingly and elbowed him in the ribs.

 

Yeah, they were going to be okay. That’s the truth.

**Author's Note:**

> Un beta'd and barely proofread because I'm in a rush to upload before class.  
> Title is from This Is Gospel by Panic! at the Disco
> 
> Please give me feedback and lmk if there's any mistakes so I can fix those.
> 
> Find me on tumblr @ aliencowboys


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